1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, apparatuses and methods for treating waste water including high concentrations of nitrogen contaminants. The waste water can include other contaminants in addition to nitrogen contaminants.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, apparatuses and methods for treating waste water including high concentrations of nitrogen contaminants, where the system includes three subsystem arranged in series: 1) a precipitation and conditioning subsystem, 2) an ammonia stripper subsystem, and 3) a denitrification subsystem. The system is adapted to reduce nitrogen contamination to a level below about 10 ppm and in certain embodiments below 3 ppm and in other embodiments, to a level below about 1 ppm.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various types of readily available, conventional and advanced treatment processes that can be used to treat contaminated waste water containing high levels of nitrogen contaminants for subsequent discharge. Most of these treatments processes are of three basic types: agricultural reuse (trucking water), deep well injection, and treatment. The agricultural reuse and deep well injection processes are generally considered short term options, because there is an uncertainty of the long term agricultural needs for the high nitrogen contaminated waste water and deep well injection is dependent on the availability of injection wells.
There are treatment processes, which appear to be long term solutions. These treatment processes can be organized into three categories: reverse osmosis treatments, ion exchange treatments, and biological treatments. Commercial biological ammonia removal systems cannot directly process urea and commercial biological nitrate removal systems are currently limited to 100 mg/L due to nitrate inhibition (toxicity). Physical processes do not reduce the waste, they either concentrate it exchange it for a different chemical waste. Ion exchange produces a chemical waste and reverse osmosis simply concentrates the waste producing large volumes of hazardous waste.
Although numerous treatment options exist, there is a need in the art for a system that will treat high nitrogen-content waste water in an efficient and controlled manner, especially in a manner that is quickly adjustable with respect to the volume or amount of waste water required to be treated such as waste water created during rain falling on a site having a source of nitrogen containing compounds.